Interior Decorating Tips to Lighten Up Dark Spaces

Lighten Up Any Room With These Key Design Tips

If your living room or family room feels heavy and dark, it may be time to discover the lighter version that is waiting to be uncovered. A few inside tricks to this common decorating dilemma will have you rejoicing over your refreshed space in no time.

Reinvent Your Furniture

Not every room makeover has a budget for new furniture, but the next best thing is the ever-ingenious slipcover. Choose ones that are light and neutral so that you can use pillows and accessories to add a pop of color. Or consider this your chance to try an adventurous pattern. Slipcovers make it easy and affordable to change things up whenever the mood or occasion strikes.

De-clutter

Refreshing your space can also mean it’s time to de-clutter so that your room feels more open. Try using a stylish console table or cabinets to store smaller items and keep things feeling tidy and open.

Look Up

Giving your room the impression that it is bigger can easily be achieved with one simple trick – hang your curtains higher than your windows. First choose a nice light, airy curtain, then hang them a foot or more higher than the window. It instantly gives your room the illusion of height.

Look Down

All too often we forget about what we put on the floor can make a huge difference in the mood and personality of the room. A light colored area rug with a distinctive pattern can easily freshen up a dark carpeted or wood floor. Try experimenting with how you place your furniture around or on a rug to see which placement feels best.

Add A New Accent

Lightening up your space is not just about color palettes and furniture choices; it’s also about adding a touch of lightheartedness to your décor. Choose collectibles or figurines that lighten the mood and give your room a renewed spirit.

Invite the Light

Natural light instantly wakes everything up. Take a look at your room and see how you can improve the natural light. Remove older dark shutters from windows and replace with light airy curtains. Add a skylight or widen windows if your budget allows. The addition of mirrors to large expanses of wall will reflect the light and make your space feel larger as well.

Give It A Fresh Coat

Pick a trio of complementing light shades and see how you can use them to your room’s advantage. Of course a good coat of paint on the walls is a great start, trim work and ceilings can get their own shade too. Going from dark or heavily wall-papered walls will instantly improve the mood of your room.

Prepare to Be Inspired!

Pinpointed a room that you’re ready to tackle, but want a few more ideas to get the creative juices flowing? Check out our Inspiring Room Ideas for tips, photos and plenty of ideas to get you started.